Are Billgrip Videos Dead?

Over the past few months I've occasionally been asked about whether or not I'm going to continue making videos for the Billgrip youtube page.

Simply put- as long as I'm alive, yes. It's just the frequency at which those videos will be produced that is in question.

Those who know me best know that I'm very passionate about video production. I'm probably more passionate about it now than I ever have been. For the past several years, I've been doing a lot of video production work. At the camp I worked at I made somewhere over 100 videos in 3 years. On the side I regularly film and edit weddings. Now I'm not at camp anymore, and I've been doing work for a video production company in Lincoln- with opportunities to do everything from running a teleprompter to doing editing videos for our state's Hospital Association. I've stayed very busy, and I've grown a lot.

But most people only know of my stuff on the Billgrip youtube channel, which has been almost abandoned for the past year. In the glory years of Billgrip videos, we could post a new video or two every month. Making videos started as something my friends and I did for fun on a Saturday because we could. It was a way we could express our unique sense of humor, and an outlet for our creativity.

But now things are different. I work two and a half jobs. The first is as a part-time salesman at a cell phone company, the second is as a production assistant at a video production company, and last is freelancing gigs. My average work week is anywhere between 45-60 hours when it's all said and done. Then there's my family who I love. I wish that life were the other way...work was the thing you have to squeeze in and family time takes the 45-60 hours. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way for me or anyone I know.

Somewhere in that remaining bit of time I'd also like to workout so I don't look like Jaba the Hutt, and relax so I don't go crazy. Here's a visualization for how my time is divided each week:



That sliver that is the "?" is the time I have left for everything else...like paying bills, video games, and of course- making videos for fun.

Not only is there barely anytime left, but I need more time to make Billgrip videos than ever before. As my knowledge of video production has increased, so has my standard. I don't want to just make funny videos anymore. I want to make videos that are good. I'm not alone in that, many of my friends share this same view with me. We are all busier, and if we are going to spend an entire day making a video, it needs to be worth it. It needs to be good.

To sum it up, my friends and I have less time than ever before to make videos for fun, and we need more time than ever before to make those videos.

That doesn't mean the desire isn't still there. I still love making videos for fun, when I have the time, which just hasn't been there for the last year. Anyways, thanks for reading this. Comments appreciated.

BG

I should write more

Hey! I should write on my blog more. I like writing. Writing takes time. The more you write the longer it takes. I don't have much time. I tend to write way too much. Alright, there's the basic problem. I'll see if I can make shorter posts. Fewer words are better. Quality over quantity. No one cares. -Bill

SUMMERS IN REMINISCE- 2006

The summer of 2006 started when I graduated high school. I honestly don't remember much about my graduation. After 4 years of looking forward to it, I think it just kind of turned into this surreal event where I just went through the motions and got it over with. I had a great high school experience to be honest, and I think it was hard to comprehend at the time that high school was really over, and that I'd never be going back as a student again. I legitimately loved high school. There aren't a lot of people that would say that.

See that handsome fellow on the left?
So full of promise yet so naive.

Towards the end of the school year, I decided I needed a girlfriend. There was a girl in my class named Lindsay that had always just been a friend, but I started to talk to her a little more and I became very attracted to her. At first she wasn't going for it and she just wanted to stay friends...but after a few somewhat successful attempts to woo her, she gave in and decided to date me. At 18 years old, she was my first girlfriend. We graduated on Saturday and started dating the following Wednesday. The first few weeks of that summer were filled with the excitement and bliss of having a new girlfriend that I really liked.

This post gets really long...

SUMMERS IN REMINISCE- Introduction

INTRODUCTION:

Something about summer time is always special. I've even found that to remain true as I became an adult. Summer is just a special period of time when you can wear shorts anytime of day because it's always warm. You can go swimming on a Saturday and work on your tan. There's that fresh south breeze that cools you off and feels warm at the same time. You can fire-up the grill and have a cookout at 8:00 PM if you want because it doesn't get dark until after 9:00. Summer is a time to hang out with friends while you relax on lawn chairs and sip lemonade. It's the time for vacations, bike rides, hiking adventures, and thunderstorms. It's hard to argue against the notion that summer is the best time of the year.

During those few warm months known as summer, warm, positive memories are made. A few months ago, Lindsay and I were remembering our past summers as far back as we could. It was interesting how each summer was almost entirely unique. This is my 4th summer working at a Bible camp, and yet this summer is different than any other summer I've ever had. Each summer that passes, you are a year older. There are new challenges you may be facing, new memories that will be made, and sometimes new friends to make those memories with.

I've decided that these memories are definitely worth remembering. That's why I'm starting this blog series- "Summers in Reminisce." Although I could probably go further back, I decided to write a post about each summer that I've had since high school. I would like to finish this series up right around the end of this summer, and then my last post will be about the summer of 2011. Then, hopefully in the future I will be able to continue to add to this series with every summer that passes.

Do note that if you are not from Nebraska or are not a part of my friend group, you may not understand everything that I write about. I may refer to some people by name without giving an explanation of who they were, and I may refer to some things such as detasseling that really isn't understood outside of the midwest. Don't let that hold you back from reading though!

Now, on to the summer of 2006!